Texas Rangers' Jurickson Profar, right, watches a solo home run during the third inning of a spring exhibition baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Monday, March 10, 2014, in Suprise, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

SURPRISE, Ariz. — On a day when the ace’s status for opening day had already been called into question and the catcher needed help just getting up out of his crouch, the worst of the medical news was still to come Sunday:

Jurickson Profar — the Rangers’ perennial top prospect, the reason they could trade Ian Kinsler — out up to three months with a muscle tear in his right shoulder.

Bad enough to lose Matt Harrison for a month and Derek Holland until mid-summer. At least the Rangers have reasonable excuses and replacements for the rotation, even if you were slightly discombobulated by the fireworks show Joe Saunders set off Sunday.

But unless you’re intrigued by the notion of a light-hitting platoon at second base while Profar’s out, now seems like a good time for the Rangers to start shopping.

“We will evaluate all the options,” assistant general manager Thad Levine said, “but we will certainly look internally first.”

Trust me, Thad. I’ve already looked. It’s not pretty.

Misplays the last two days by Adam Rosales — who for some reason was the subject of a ping pong match last year between the Rangers and A’s — led to huge innings. The club had already given up on Brent Lillibridge and Kensuke Tanaka, both assigned to the minor league camp. Josh Wilson? A career .225 hitter playing for his 12th organization in 10 seasons, he’d probably best be served in a platoon with Tanaka.

Bottom line: The Rangers’ bench was a bit puny even before Profar looped a relay to first Saturday and his spring went poof.

An MRI revealed a tear of the teres major, the muscle running between his shoulder blade and shoulder. If you’re scoring at home, this was not the same muscle that kept Profar from playing the field until March 17. It’s the muscle next to it, if you can believe that.

No surgery is required, according to the team doctor, Keith Meister. Just rest.

Good luck to Ron Washington getting any of that until he finds a second baseman.

“We’ll get somebody that can play,” Washington said, avoiding any signs of panic.

“We’ll find somebody to play second base.”

Not that I don’t trust Jon Daniels to do his due diligence, but what with Yu Darvish nursing a sore neck and all the attention riveted on the pitching staff’s medical charts, I contacted a guy who’s played a little second and asked if he had any interest.

“Haha!” Michael Young texted. “This is the fifth one in the last five minutes!!”

Unfortunately I couldn’t talk him out of retirement.

You can’t say I didn’t try.

Given that miss, let me suggest a few candidates.

Mark Ellis, 36, signed with the Cardinals for $5 million to back up Kolten Wong at second base and Matt Carpenter at third. He’d also have to give his approval for a trade. But Washington knows him well from his years in Oakland. He’s a plus defender and a career .265 hitter.

On lesser notes, the Cards are looking to trade Pete Kozma, their former shortstop. Chris Getz, formerly of Kansas City, is in Toronto on a minor league deal.

Ellis certainly would be a great place to start. He wouldn’t come cheap. But remember that the Rangers wouldn’t just be buying a three-month replacement. They’d be getting something they’ve sorely needed for years, and that’s a better bench.

For a little perspective: From the looks of it this spring, anyway, Billy Beane gave up too much when he traded one of his top prospects, Michael Choice, for Craig Gentry. But Beane always operates under the assumption that there’s no tomorrow. He needed another centerfielder in case Coco Crisp goes down again, and he gave up a potentially good everyday player to get one. And it’s because of that mentality that the A’s have one of baseball’s best benches.

The Rangers’ bench isn’t even close, and that’s one of the reasons it could turn into a long, hot summer chasing the A’s.

Adding another player would not only make up for Profar’s absence, it would make the Rangers a better team the rest of the season as well.

Because let’s face it, at the rate of injury on this club, Profar could blow the teres minor or whatever other muscle is left in his right shoulder and be out until Christmas.

The manager simply isn’t cut out for this kind of duty. He revealed as much after the game, explaining the sequence of events when he went out in the second inning to see what in the world was the matter with his catcher, Geovany Soto, stuck at half-mast.

“I couldn’t lift him,” Washington said, smiling.

Time to let your general manager do the heavy lifting, Wash. The Rangers can’t risk anyone else going on the DL.

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About Kevin Sherrington

Kevin Sherrington, a general sports columnist, was born in Dallas and grew up in Houston. He has worked at five newspapers in Texas. He has worked at The Dallas Morning News since 1985. He had no idea his career would come to blogging.